10/23/2026
GLP-1 medications are reshaping surgical care, and most perioperative programs haven't caught up yet.
Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro. These drugs are now in 1 in 5 surgical patients' medicine cabinets. And because they slow gastric emptying, patients taking them carry a real aspiration risk under general anesthesia, even after standard fasting.
The ASA updated its guidance. A 2024 multi-society consensus statement followed.
The message is clear: GLP-1 use must be identified, assessed, and managed before surgery day. Not in the pre-op bay. Not on the morning of the procedure.
Weeks earlier.
The problem? Most surgical programs don't have a structured process to surface this at intake. Patients don't always disclose it. Surgeons don't always ask. And by the time it comes up, it's already late.
This is precisely the kind of risk that active perioperative management in the T-96 window is designed to catch.
Sources:
ACS Member News - July/August 2026 | facs.org
NYSORA - Perioperative Diabetes Care in 2026 | nysora.com
ASA GLP-1 Surgical Guidance - Updated August 2026 | asahq.org